Dental appliance



H. T. HYAMS DENTAL APPLIANCE sept. w, 1924.. l 12,50%@

Filed Dec. 5, 1922 4Patented Sept.. 16, 1924.

HARRY T. HYAMS, OF DE KALB, TEXAS.

DENTAL APPLIANCE.

Application filed December 5, 1922. Serial No. 605,082.

To 'all whom it may concern.'

Be it known thatI, HARRY T. HYAMS, a. citizen of the United States, and resident of De Kalb, in the county of Bowie and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Appliances. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in surgical instruments, more particularly to diagnostic instruments for the examination of cavities, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an instrument of the character described which includes means for illuminating the interior of the mouth so that the teeth may be conveniently examined and cavities therein, necrosed parts thereof, defects in the enamel and other diseased or defective parts thereof located, inspected and treated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which embodies adjustable means for directing rays of light upon various portions of the interior surface of the mouth or of individual teeth therein so as to permit close and thorough inspection of such portions.

A still further object of the-invention is to provide a device of the character described which is of simplified construction, convenient to manipulate and which is thorouhly practical commercially.

ther objects and advantages vwill be apy parent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanyindrawings, in whichigure 1 is a perspective view showin a practical embodiment of the invention operatively applied,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through thev device,

Figure 3 is an end view of the device,

Figure 4 .is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of a telescope body 'comdprised in the device detached from a hol er therefor, and

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of focusing tube or cylinder which may be substituted for the focusing tube shown in Figures 1 and 2. In carrying out my invention, I rovide a handle or holder which is indicate generally at 1. rllhe handle or holder 1 is shown as comprising a relatively long straight tubular section 2, a shorter tubular section 3 which extends at right angles to the tubular section 2 and is connected at one end to the latter by a ball and socket joint 4, the arrangement being such that the section 3 may be swung about the axis of the section 2 but rangement is such that the section 5 mayl rotate about its longitudinal axis. An additional tubular section 7 comprised in 'the handle or holder is connected by a ball and socket joint 8 to the second end of the section 5 so that the section 7 may be swung about the longitudinal axis of the section 5. With this arrangement, the section 7 will be disposed in parallel lrelation to the section 3 and a half loop will'be provided in the holder or handle at one end thereof.

The section 7 carries at its outer end a block 9 which is' connected thereto by a ball and socket joint l0 and which is provided with a. socket 11 adaptedfor the reception of the base of an incandescent lamp 12. Electrical conducting means 13 lead from the incandescent lamp 12 through the lamp carrying block 9 and through the several sections of the handle or holder 1 and project from the end of the handle or holder 1 remote from the lamp for connection with any suitable source of electric current supply.

The block 9 also carries a lateral arm 14 having a hub portion 15 rotatably'mounted on the block. The arm 14 at its outer end supports a reector or mirror 16 which hes icc in a' plane extending substantially at ri` ht angles to the arm 14 and consequently a o at ri ht angles to the planes of the sections 5 an 2 of the holder or handle. The hall and socket joints 4, 6, 8 and 10 are similarly constructed and the relatively moving parte of each frictionally co-engege so that the elements or sections connected thereby will normally remain in an position in resect to each other-to which t ey are moved. he arm 14 may be swung to .a eomlete revolution about the axis of the blo 9 d the liti angular relation of the longitudinal axis of thelatter in respect to the longitudinal axis of the section 7 may be varied within limits.

rlhe section 7 and the parts carried thereby may be swung to a complete revolution about the longitudinal axis of the section 5 or the section 3 and the parte' connected with the outer ends thereof may be swung as a unit about the longitudinal axis of the section 2 of the handle or holder. llt will thus be apparent that the range of adjustment of the lamp 12l in respect to the section 2 of the handle or holder is relatively large and that the mirror or reflector 16 may be adjusted rblatively to the lamp 12 when the latter is'in any desirable pos1tion so that the rays of light from the lamp 12 will be directed as desired.

rlhe section 2 of the handle or holder is provided at intervals along its length with spring clips 17 which are substantially' s'emiannular in form and are adapted to clampingly embrace the cylindrical body 18 of a telescope or elongated tubular eye-piece comprised in the device in such manner as to tend to hold the cylindrical body in spaced parallel relation to the section 2 and to permit the cylindrical body 18 to be moved axially relatively to the section 2 when desired.

lhe cylindrical body 18 is open at one end and is provided at its other end with an integral end wall 19 which is conveXo-concaved and is formed with a central opening 20 which constitutes a peep or sight opening, as will resently appear. 'llhe teles'copeot which die body 18 1s a part also includesa cylindrical focusing cylinder 21 which slidably interits the body 18.

The focusing cylinder shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a ma ifyin'g lens 22 mounted therein at one enithereof and is provided at its other end with a conveno-concaved end wall 23 having a central opening 2t formed therethrough. lln Fi ure 5, a focusing cylinder 21 is' shown an is yidentical in construction with the focusing cylinder 21 with the ence tion that no provision is' made inthe cy inder 21 for the mounting yolf the magnifying lens 22 therein, the one end of the focusing cylinder 21' being entirely open and unobstructed. As stated, the focusing tube or cylinder 21 telescopes into the cylindrical body 18 and may be secured in adjusted position along the latter by means onty a set screw 25 which is threaded through an opening in an embossed portion 26 ot the c lindrical body 18.

From the foregoing Aescription et the various parts ot the device, the operation thereoi?` may be readily understood. The lamp 'and reector carrying portions of the the handle or 4holder may be partially' or titi completely inserted into the mouth of a patient inthe manner in which illustrated in neoaoai Figure 1. The mirror or reflector 16 is then positioned in a desirable relation to ,the lamp. 12 so as to illuminate any predetermined portion of the interior of the mouth of the patient or of teeth therein. The focusing tube 21 is adjusted along the body 18 to suit the eye of an observer who gazes through the peep hole 20 and through the focusing tube 21 or 21 at the illuminated spot or portion within the mouth.

`When the focusing tube 21 is used, the i1- luminated spot or portion will be magnified and when teeth or portions thereof are illuminated, cavities therein, defects in the enamel thereof, necrosed parts and other `diseased or defective portions thereof will be clearly visible and may be carefully and critically examined with a view to determining the proper treatment therefor.

The odset or half loop portion of the handle or holder at the lamp and reector carrying end thereof permits of convenient manipulation of the holder or handle to poeition the lamp and reflector within the mouth in a desirable relation to a tooth or teeth which are to be inspected and without causing any obstruction of lthe line of vision extending through the telescope to the said tooth or teeth. When the handle or holder is in the position in which illustrated in Figure 1, the lamp 12 is substantially in line with the longitudinal axis of the telescope but as stated, the position of the lamp in respect to the longitudinal axis of the telescope may be varied at will by adjusting certain of the joined together sections ot the holder or handle 1 in respect to one another. The redector or mirror 16 may be adjusted in respect to the lamp 12 to illuminate teeth or portions of the interior wall of the mouth which are located 'at either side of the lamp or at the front or rear thereof.

@bviously my invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and l' therefore consider as my own all modications and adaptations of the form of the device illustrated herein which tall within the sco e oit the appended zum aving thus described the invention, what ll claim is 1. ln an instrument ot' the character de scribed a handle having a rigid longitudinal portion and a denible portion connected to the rigid portion, a light emitting means mat the extremity of the dexible portion oil the handle, a redactor adjustably connected the ilexible portion ot the handle in cent relation to the light emitting means and being movable relatively to the latter, and an elongated tubular eye-piece carried by the rigid longitudinal portlon of the handle in position to cooperate with the redactor.

2, la an instrument of the character densoaoei scribed, a .handle comprising a" straight rigid section, a second straight' rigid section Aa short rigid section swingin ly attached to the extremity of the secon ri 'd section and extending at right angles to t e plane of the first section, a hght emitting means movably supported at the extremity of the third rigid section and a reiiector supported for revolution about the axis of the third rigid l section and in adjacent relation to the light emitting means, and a telescope supported on the first rigid section in parallel relation thereto.

3. In an instrument of the character described, a hollow handle comprising a lurality of tubular sections, each ltwo a jant sections being joined together by a ball and socket joint, an incandescent lamp car-y ried at the one endl of the handle, electrical conductin means extendin from the lamp through t e handle, a re ector vrotatably Asupported upon the handle and being adapted to cooperate with the incandescent-lamp,

Aand a telescope supported upon the handle.

4. In an instrument'of the character described, a tubular eye- :ece comprising two telescopic sections, having end walls at their remote ends said end walls having aligned` openingsl therethrough, means for -monted in one of releasably securing the sections together in adjusted relation, a handle having a rigid portion support' the eye-piece and extending at one en beyond the forward end of the latter, said .handle also including a exible portion connected at one end tosaid one end of the riid portion, a light emitting means carrie b the handle at the other end of the lexi le ortion and in advance of the forward en `of the e e-piece, andv a reiector carried by the han e in adjacent relation to the light emitting means.

-5. In an instrument of the character described, a telesco comprising two telescopic sections having end walls at their remote ends, said end walls havin aligned o therethrough a' magniing lens sections, means for releasably securing the sections together in adjusted relation, a handle having a rigid portion supporting the telescope and extending at one end beyond the forward end of 'the latter, said handle also including a iiex- 'ible portion connected at one end to the 'saidv other end of the exible portion and in ad- Vance of the forward end of `the telescope, and a'. reiiector carried by the handle in adjacent relation to the t emittin means.

'HA ."1 T. H AMS. 

